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Recently, I had an interesting conversation with a brilliant district leader. She asked me about our formative assessments and why we grade and provide feedback on spelling even at the Novice Level, even though ACTFL guidelines do not require spelling accuracy at this level. After reflecting on this discussion further, I realized that we have…

Language proficiency is critical for the success of emergent bilinguals. Western Heights School District in Oklahoma City recognized the importance of providing intentional support and tools to enable their EBs to grow faster and do better on the WIDA test.  In pursuit of this objective, the district implemented the Little Sponges® language development program in the…

In today’s increasingly multicultural society, classrooms are becoming more diverse, with emergent bilingual students representing a significant portion of the student population. These students, who are learning English as a second language while simultaneously developing their native language skills, face unique challenges in their language acquisition journey. One critical aspect of language development is comprehension,…

When it comes to academic tests, young emergent bilinguals have two challenges to overcome! The language barrier is only half of the challenge.  Since most tests are now conducted online, technology skills are very important even in Kindergarten.  However, many children who are starting school lack these skills for various reasons. Some attended a Pre-K…

One of the most effective ways to facilitate language learning is by providing Comprehensible Input (CI).  CI is an instructional approach in which teachers provide input that allows language learners to understand most, but not necessarily all of the language input.  In this blog post, we will explore the importance of CI in language learning for…

Many teachers and school administrators are already thinking about how to help their young language learners continue to develop their language skills during the summer break. Summer school programs for multilingual learners are gaining momentum. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of summer school programs for young language learners. 1. Consistency and…